Fish Oil's Benefits Remain Elusive

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Consuming fish oil appears to reduce the chance of death from heart problems, but it may not help those with heart rhythm problems, a new analysis shows.

The conclusions are based on a Canadian review of dozens of fish oil studies involving more than 30,000 people. The study, by a team at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, was published in the online edition of BMJ.

Eleven studies reported fish oil supplements helping reduce deaths from heart problems by 20 percent; however, none of the studies were able to determine the optimal dose or formulation of fish oil.